problems with my sps browning and extension

[arashsheikhpoor]

so over the last months I have had problems with my sps. Basically I dont get very good polyp extension. especially with my milleporas.

Through out this whole time, my alk has been at 8.5 Ca at 450 Mg at 1300 PH 8.3 Temp at 80.5 and salinity at 1.025 ( checked with hanna)

And have been using a pair of AI hydras (not 52) with whites at 60 and blues at 85.

Recently the colors have also been browning out too.

a month ago I tested my nitrates and phosphates and they were 15ppm and .30

Did a lot of water changes and reduced feeding to try and eliminate those problems.

Now fast forward to 1.5 weeks ago. I installed a gfo reactor to reduce the phosphates. Since then the phosphates are at .045

Since the browning started I have done the following:

1. Added a single t5 ati blue plus
2. added a chiller to stabalize temps
3. the phosphate reactor

And today I did this:

1. Changed the top off container from rubbermaid office trash can to my old 10 gallon glass tank.
2. Cleaned out my sump and took out all sand.

Does anyone have any suggestions of what i can do?

 

[arashsheikhpoor]

I have also looked for bugs and not found anything.

 

[SpSChief85]

Do you have any pictures? How long is your photo period at peak? Do you dose any trace elements or amino acids? Have you checked your ro waters tds? What are you using for flow?

 

[arashsheikhpoor]

Thats my light schedule.


I dose 2 part b-ionic for calcium and alk with a doser throughout the day.

No Amino acids and my flow is made up of 3 rw8's with my return flow.

 

[sahin]

Your Phosphate was very high to begin with, so it can take some time for the corals to colour up.

What do you feed the fish/corals on a daily basis? Can you list types of food and how often?

 

[arashsheikhpoor]

I feed coral frenzy once every few days and I usually just do NLS pellets for the fish daily. I also do frozen every 3 days.. I'll find out the name in the morning.

 

[sahin]

I feed coral frenzy once every few days and I usually just do NLS pellets for the fish daily. I also do frozen every 3 days.. I'll find out the name in the morning.

The NLS, do you only feed that once a day?

 

[arashsheikhpoor]

Yes, I usually do NLS once a day.

So today I did another 15 gal WC, removed the dryside magnet from the overflow and changed the location of one rw8.

I also Dipped a few of my sps with revive to see if there were any bugs. I did not find anything.

Finally I switched out the media for the phosphate reactor.

Additionally I found a very small bit of red algae and what looks to be a small bit of green algae with clear bubble on them .

 

[sahin]

Photos arent the best, but it appears at least some of your SPS have tissue loss...they are not happy and that is why they are brown and have no PE.

I would be worried about the STN issue way more than PE or browning at the moment.

How old is this tank? What is the full set of parameters? Specs? Filtration?

 

[SpSChief85]

That is definitely STN and looks like the frags used to be encrusted on the plug and have stn'd up the stalk. Doesn't look good. You have made some changes have you double checked your salinity?

 

[arashsheikhpoor]

That one that has stn has been that way for a very long time. Nothing new. as of tonigh my phosphates were .085 with hanna, 5ppm nitrates. 9.2 alk, 450 ca, ph was 8.3 and temp was 80 all day. salinity is 1.024. tank is 1.5 years

The PE have been gone from most of my coral for some time but they all had great color until 5 days ago. Since then everything has suddenly turned brown.

 

[markalot]

Unfortunately I think the answer is fairly simple, PO4 dropped too fast. It sucks that improving conditions too rapidly can kill acros but I've done it more than I'd like to admit before finally learning my lesson (maybe).

 

[arashsheikhpoor]

Did your sps get brown too, when you removed the phosphates too quickly?